Multi-field composite-based additive manufacturing device and multi-field composite-based additive manufacturing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12145292-B2
Application number	US-202017785914-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2020
Priority date	Dec 20, 2019
Publication date	Nov 19, 2024
Grant date	Nov 19, 2024

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the technical field related to additive manufacturing, and provides a multi-field composite-based additive manufacturing device and method. The device comprises a powder delivery adjustment module, a sound field control module, a microwave field/thermal field control module and a microprocessor. The powder delivery adjustment module, the sound field control module and the microwave field/thermal field control module are respectively connected to the microprocessor; the powder delivery adjustment module comprises a raw material dispersion chamber, and the raw material dispersion chamber is provided within a forming cavity formed by a housing; the sound field control module is also provided within the forming cavity and is located below the raw material dispersion chamber; the microwave field/thermal field control module comprises a plurality of microwave generators provided in the forming cavity, the plurality of microwave generators are respectively located at two sides of a forming area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-field composite-based additive manufacturing device, wherein
the additive manufacturing device comprises a powder delivery adjustment module, a sound field control module, a microwave field/thermal field control module, and a microprocessor, the powder delivery adjustment module, the sound field control module, and the microwave field/thermal field control module are connected to the microprocessor,
the powder delivery adjustment module comprises a raw material dispersion chamber, the raw material dispersion chamber is provided within a forming cavity formed by a housing, the sound field control module is also provided within the forming cavity and is located below the raw material dispersion chamber, the microwave field/thermal field control module comprises a plurality of microwave generators provided in the forming cavity, the plurality of microwave generators are located at two sides of a forming area, the microwave generators and the sound field control module respectively surround an upper portion and a lower portion of the raw material dispersion chamber, and the sound field control module comprises an ultrasonic transducer array connected to the microprocessor, wherein the forming area is divided into a high-temperature area and a low-temperature area, a temperature of the high-temperature area is higher than that of the low-temperature area,
during operation, after raw material powder is sufficiently dispersed in the raw material dispersion chamber, the microprocessor controls the ultrasonic transducer array to emit ultrasonic waves to form a sound field, the sound field captures a predetermined amount of the raw material powder in the raw material dispersion chamber, the captured raw material powder moves to the high-temperature area under the action of the sound field and is melted into a melt under the action of microwaves emitted by the microwave generators, and next, the melt moves to a designated position in the low-temperature region under the action of the sound field and then solidifies,
wherein the microwave intensity of the high-temperature area is greater than the microwave intensity of the low-temperature area, the powder delivery adjustment module further comprises a raw material tank, a powder feeding pump, a high pressure pump, and a powder recovery tank, the powder feeding pump, the raw material tank, the raw material dispersion chamber, and the powder recovery tank are sequentially connected through a powder feeding pipeline, and the high pressure pump is connected to the raw material dispersion chamber through the powder feeding pipeline.

2. The multi-field composite-based additive manufacturing device according to claim 1 , wherein the powder feeding pump blows the raw material powder from the raw material tank into the raw material dispersion chamber under the control of the microprocessor, next, the raw material dispersion chamber is closed, the powder in the raw material dispersion chamber is fully dispersed under the action of the high pressure pump, so as to facilitate a follow-up powder obtaining operation of the sound field, and after the powder obtaining operation of the sound field is completed, the powder in the raw material dispersion chamber is blown into the powder recovery tank.

3. The multi-field composite-based additive manufacturing device according to claim 1 , wherein the additive manufacturing device further comprises an atmosphere control module connected to the microprocessor, the atmosphere control module is arranged on the housing and comprises an oxygen content detector, an air pressure detector, an air pump, a diffusion vacuum unit, and a pressure reducing valve arranged on the housing, the diffusion vacuum unit is used to evacuate the forming cavity, the air pump is used for pumping protective gas into the forming cavity to prevent oxidation of a part during a forming process, the oxygen content detector and the air pressure detector are respectively used for detecting an oxygen content and an air pressure in the forming cavity and transmitting detected values to the microprocessor, and the microprocessor controls the action of the air pump and the pressure reducing valve accordingly according to the received data.

4. The multi-field composite-based additive manufacturing device according to claim 1 , wherein the additive manufacturing device further comprises a real-time monitoring module connected to the microprocessor, the real-time monitoring module comprises a forming cavity temperature monitor and a powder position monitor, and the forming cavity temperature monitor and the powder position monitor are arranged on the housing and are respectively used to monitor a real-time temperature in the forming cavity and a real-time position of the captured powder or melt, so as to control a shape of a part during forming.

5. The multi-field composite-based additive manufacturing device according to claim 4 , wherein both the forming cavity temperature monitor and the powder position monitor are connected to the microprocessor, the forming cavity temperature monitor and the powder position monitor transmit detected temperature and position data to the microprocessor, and the microprocessor performs processing according to the received temperature and position data, so as to correspondingly control the sound field control module and the microwave field/thermal field control module.

6. The multi-field composite-based additive manufacturing device according to claim 1 , wherein the additive manufacturing device further comprises a power conditioner, and the power conditioner is connected to the microwave generator.

7. A multi-field composite-based additive manufacturing method, wherein the method includes the following steps:
step (1) providing the multi-field composite-based additive manufacturing device according to claim 1 , adding the raw material powder to the multi-field composite-based additive manufacturing device, and closing the forming cavity;
step (2) after sufficiently dispersing the raw material powder in the raw material dispersion chamber, controlling the ultrasonic transducer array by the microprocessor to emit ultrasonic waves to form the sound field, capturing a predetermined amount of the raw material powder in the raw material dispersion chamber by the sound field, moving the captured raw material powder to the high-temperature area under the action of the sound field;
step (3) melting the raw material powder into the melt under the action of microwaves emitted by the microwave generators, and next, moving the melt to a designated position in the low-temperature region under the action of the sound field and then solidifying the melt; and
step (4) repeating step (2) and step (3) until a part to be manufactured is manufactured.

8. The multi-field composite-based additive manufacturing method according to claim 7 , wherein the step (1) further comprises a step of evacuating the forming cavity and introducing protective gas to the forming cavity.

9. The multi-field composite-based additive manufacturing method according to claim 8 , wherein the protective gas is nitrogen or argon, and the microprocessor adjusts the microwave intensity of the forming area by controlling the plurality of the microwave generators.

10. The multi-field composite-based additive manufacturing device according to claim 2 , wherein the additive manufacturing device further comprises a power conditioner, and the power conditioner is connected to the microwave generator.

11. The multi-field composite-based additive manufacturing device according to claim 3 , wherein the additive manufacturing device further comprises a power conditioner, and t

Assignees

• Univ Huazhong Science Tech

Inventors

• Shi Yusheng
• Liu Rongzhen
• Chen Gong
• Yang Yu
• Liu Jie
• Wen Shifeng
• Wu Jiamin

Classifications

• B33Y30/00

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title

• B33Y10/00 Primary

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B22F2999/00

  Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy · CPC title

• B33Y40/00

  Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling · CPC title

• Y02P10/25

  Process efficiency · CPC title